Cheap Wedding Favor Ideas
Cheap. It's such a drab-sounding word ... until you realize you're about to put on a ten, even twenty-thousand-dollar party. Suddenly, the word "cheap" takes on a whole new shine.
So, you want to follow the time-honored tradition of thanking your guests for coming — wedding favors — but you don't have a lot left over after the photographers, videographers and calligraphers? No problem. Happily enough, the cheapest wedding favor is often the best-loved: candy.
Guests love candy, because it doesn't require them to dig a hole, water anything, or find a place for another mismatched keepsake. You'll love candy, because it makes for a not-only-cheap, but interesting wedding favor. You can expand on the theme with exotic herbs (bought in bulk, of course) and still come in under budget. If you're really a guerilla shopper, the world's your oyster, but let's start with the candy.
For cost-conscious brides, the hunt for a cheap wedding favor begins with:
- Buying spices and candy in bulk.
- Buying favor boxes, bags, jars or tins online from wholesalers, or possibly Ebay.
- Buying at online or bricks & mortar clearance sales.
Cheap Bulk Spices and Candy
An insane number of cheap favors can be made from candy and spices. Not only are they inexpensive, they're also appreciated by all alike: restive children, snack-loving male guests, clutter-conscious marrieds.
Cute, Chic Candy Choices
- White "conversation" hearts with personalized sayings
- Jordan almonds in fresh, new colors and foil coatings
- Glamorous, glittering rock candy on a stick
- chocolate foiled coins
- Jelly Bellies in your wedding colors
- salt water taffy (especially for beach weddings)
- candy corn, in traditional or offbeat shapes
- gummies in novel shapes and flavors (white and milk-chocolate covered gummy bears, gummy Peach O's, hearts and cola bottles, strawberries & cream or watermelon, gummy mice for Cinderella brides ...)
- Chocolate kiss "rose" bouquets
- "Concession counter" candy: Runts, Jawbreakers, french 'burnt' peanuts, Crazy Bananas
- M&Ms in your wedding's custom colors
- Retro candy from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's
Great Sources for Candy
Don't forget that you can get dramatic by combining your candy with elegant cookies (try pearl-sugared shortbread in interesting shapes), and hand-molded chocolates.
You can also make your own gourmet popcorn balls in fascinating flavors for a cheap wedding favor. Try gourmet popcorn recipes, like Macadamia Nut, Cinnamon Red Hots, and Popcorn Caramel Apple! "Our love just keeps on poppin'..."
Candy Alternatives
But what if wedding sweets just aren't your thing? Then try a sachet of spices with an accompanying poem or recipe. This is aromatic, elegant and totally romantic.
Another cute possibility? Custom tea packets. Design a tea packet featuring your names and a soft wedding image, and cover one pre-packaged bag of tea per guest.
Buying Cheap Boxes, Bags, Jars or Tins
Now that you have the cheap favor fillers, it's time to think about packaging. Honestly, packaging can be more fun than the favors, what with those brushed-aluminum watch tins and octagonal glass jars you see in magazines. But the costs can climb.
Often you can find some of the lowest prices for packaging on eBay, although the selection isn't always perfect. Personally, I love eBay, but I have also had a problem here or there, so I caution you: try to avoid buying key items for a high-stress event like a wedding, unless you have plenty of lead time. I've learned the hard way that if a seller doesn't stand behind their product or just kind of wanders away, you don't have much recourse and soon you're out of time.
Fortunately, there are 'regular' online stores that have super-cheap pricing plus a solid reputation. Here are a few you can buy from with confidence:
Okay, good! Now you've got your packing out of the way. That means it's time for the wacky, crazy world of ...
Bricks & Mortar or Online Clearance Sales
All bets are off now. Who knows what you'll find? Not me, because this step requires you to haunt the deepest reaches of your local bricks & mortar offerings (think Michaels, Joanna's, Pier One Imports, Ikea), or the tiniest niches of not-very-large websites.
Sweet tchotchkes have been found at craft stores for almost nothing, like those little glass swans and slippers you fill with candy and wrap up in tulle. Michael's tends to put grotesquely generous coupons in the newspaper every few weeks (ask your friends and family to collect them). Ikea has been known to cast out lovely glassware for a quarter apiece. Do your shopping!
We are getting married June 16th and I’m thinking about a candy bar with small bags instead of favors at each table. We have about 100 guests attending the reception, does anyone have any idea how much of each candy I should purchase???
Judy,
According to candy experts it is best to take 5-10 different types of candy and have 15-20 pounds each type whether needed or not. It will make it look more pleasing to the eye.
http://www.favorideas.com/wedding-blog/candy-buffet-ideas/comment-page-19/#comment-241919
My fiance and I are getting married on April 18th, and our reception will be on the 21st. We are doing it this way due to we only want to actually have a reception and are getting married at a court house. The colors are red and teal and I need some favor ideas, please help me, I feel so far behind.
Tasha,
I usually recommend anything edible. At parties or weddings it is a chance to introduce a personal fave of the couple. Cookies, candies, etc. Something simple in glassine bags or favor boxes would be nice. Is there a local sweet treat that everyone would love? For instance here in Louisiana, pralines is common and I have seen brides choose this to give out. Or you could go with tradition and have chocolate covered Dragees/Jordan almonds. If the couple loves coffee, why not have chocolate covered spoons? ( Google image chocolate spoons. You can also google image chocolate pretzel sticks, that would be a good favor.
We are having a wedding april 14th 2012,our colors are Yellow,Pink,some light green and white of course I’m thinking of Butterflys for my them we are going to try and have it in our yard and probably only going to be about 50 people..any ideas for wedding favors
Jodi,
I would buy up some pastel easter candies like chocolate covered almonds or pastel m&m’s( edible is always appreciated by guests) and put them in some favor boxes, have them where they wont melt. If you dont want to gothis route, consider your fave candy or edible, even lollipops for a touch of fun. have a pretty container filled with secured styrofoam and have clear wrapped lollipops with ribbon and stick into container making a “bouquet”.
We’re getting married Sept.17th. We don’t really have a theme, but our colours are navy and ivory. We are having less than 100 guests, but I would really like a unique favour for our guests that tie in our colours. Any ideas?
Cathy,
I would look to something, as a couple, you love. Introduce the guests to a fave candy or trinket. Most all guests love edible favors. Something really neat would be mini tins or jars of fresh herbs or even ground pepper or a seasoning rub. Even lollipops or cake bites on a stick.
* some ideas
I am getting married in may and my wedding is going to be very bright. But I am struggling on the wedding favors. My colors are grapefruit pink and citrus yellow. But I can think of anything “candy wise” that will last in the heat. So any help would be really appreciated. Thanks
brittani,
your going in a great direction on edible favors. you can do a number of things, why not have a great candy or cookie that is “famous” locally. lollipops are a GREAT and whimsical favor. i wouldnt have them in direct heat though. whatever theme your having, why not have a shaped cookie that relates? like a lemon or lemon shaped cookie for the “citrus yellow”?
Hi Brittani,
What if you bought fuzzy peaches? The come in heart shapes too and they are pink and yellowy.
Also theres a recipe online for oreo cream cheese truffles that you cover with chocolate and you can buy coloured chocolate for cheap, maybe make those and put a couple in a nice little bag and then hang a poem off it our maybe a date of significance with you and your husband to be like first date, first kiss etc.
try jolly ranchers
I’m stealing my dress maker’s idea. We’re getting small flower pots and planting live ivy in each one. A little ribbon and our names and date of the wedding printed on the side with a paint pen completes the favor.
Maybe a little more time consuming, but it’s more earth friendly, less likely to be thrown away and something that people can enjoy for a long time.
I just wish I could find a picture…
I heard it’s fun to have a candy “bar” at weddings. I say go for it!
does anyone hear think i would be doing too much if i had a cookie and candy bar at my reception?
I would for sure have a cookie and candy bar. I would also get glassine envolpes and stickers so your guests can take some home as favors. Get a few wide mouth jars, place a label of what kind of cookie and sweets they are. It will look nice. Plus it just doubled as a favor.
I am having a candy bar at my wedding, and I am having decorated chinese take out boxes so that people can take some of the candy home.
You can buy the galssine envolpes at http://www.papermart.com for cheap, for 7 bucks for 100 envolpes. Hope this helps you out.
WE ARE GETTNIG MARRIED NOV 07.HAVE TWO THEMES TRYING TO CONNECT THEM.FIRST ” FALL” BUT NOT OVERBOARD WITH PUMPKINS JUST SIMPLE BROWNS,CINN,CREAMS.COFFEE BEAN CANDEL CENT AND FALL FLORAL ARANGEMENTS.LINDTS CHOC TRUFFLES IN ACCORDING COLORS AS FAVOR# 1 .SECOND THEME “MOVIES” -TABLES NAMED AFTER WEDDING MOVIES,ESCORT CARD WILL BE MOVIE TICKETS.WANT TO HAVE
BAGGED POPCORN.ANY SUGG? MAYBE IN BROWN BAGS AND DIFF FLAVORS 1 PER COUPLE? DOES THIS HELP THE THEMES CONNECT?
Sounds cute. How about brown bags with a silk leaf attached? Movie tickets in fall colors and slik leaves on the tables. I will think on this some more not much time though! Good Luck!
My fiance and I are planning to use the candy Runts and put them in a cute little box of each of the tables. We thought this would be a fun little favor and are looking at price too. We wanted to come up with a cute peom/story, etc to go with it, but can’t think of anything! Runts have the hearts, bananas, limes and oranges. Any ideas?? Anything would be very helpful!!
Does anyone know where I can gummy mice?
The jelly belly company sells gummi rats but they are pretty big
I am using this idea but going on step further. I am actually having a “candy bar.” My guests will be able to fill up the boxes with whatever they like. I picked my three favortie candies and he picked his.
This was a very useful site. I am giving small jars of honey with personalized labels as favors at my wedding. It seems odd, but the labels will explain that Cupid dipped his arrows in honey to fill the lover’s hearts with sweetness and in ancient Greece and Rome, honey was a symbol of fertility, love, and beauty. If you like this idea, try searching silverbow honey company. (I think it’s silverbow.com)
i am going to give seed packets of the type of flowers im using in my wedding. packaged nicely.
I am not having a reception and I don’t want people to think I’m cheap. What favor can I give?
This was a great site! Very user friendly, and I feel like I learned something without having to read pages and pages of boring useless, junk.